Bassewitz is a German family of ancient nobility which has its roots in the Mecklenburg region. The family is said to be named after the village of Basse (today a district of the municipality of Lühburg). Also in the German hunter-language Basse refers to a tusker. A jumping tusker is the family’s heraldic animal.
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Earliest references to the family include a document that dates from 1254 in which Bernhardus de Bassewicze is mentioned and one from 1308 with Heinrich von Bassewitz. The family is split into two branches – the Mecklenburgian branch and the Wendish branch. It is believed that both branches devided in the 14th century, and that their common progenitor is Hans von Bassewitz on Hohenluckow manor († 1397). The Mecklenburgian branch had its estates in the territory of the Duchy of Mecklenburg. Whereas the Wendish branch had its estates in the former so called Principality of Wenden. Already in the 14th century Lühburg with Basse, Dalwitz (today a district of the municipality of Walkendorf) and Prebberede were estates of the Wendish branch. All current male members of the Wendish branch are descendants of Count Henning Friedrich von Bassewitz (1680–1749), who was awarded with a hereditary imperial countship (Reichsgraf) in 1726 by Emperor Karl VI for his diplomatic services.
Since then four of his descendants held the highest office (prime minister) in Mecklenburg: Count Carl Friedrich (1720–1783), Count Bernhard-Friedrich (1756–1816) and Count Henning Karl Friedrich (1814–1885) as Presidents of the Privy Council, and Count Karl (1855–1921) as President of the State Ministry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 1901 through 1914.
All legitimate male-line descendants of Count Henning Friedrich bear the name Graf von Bassewitz (Count von Bassewitz).
Hereditary imperial countship Vienna, June 9th, 1726 granted to Henning Friedrich von Bassewitz. Incorporated into the Estonian Noble Corporation as of January 29th, 1725.
Bassewitz-Levetzow is a Prussian subbranch of the comital branch originated from a unification of coat of arms and name with the Levetzow family linked to the fideicommissum of Kläden manor; granted in Baden-Baden to Count Karl von Bassewitz on October 2nd, 1869. Incorporation into Prussian nobility granted in Berlin on November 7th, 1884 to his son and heir Count Bernhard von Bassewitz. The last person to bear the name of a Count von Bassewitz-Levetzow is Count Georg Werner (*1925).